Love & Mercy review – surfing a Beach Boy’s life | Film | The Guardian Love & Mercy review – surfing a Beach Boy’s life 4 / 5 stars Mixing fact and fiction this strange double-telling of the Brian Wilson story is a truthful reminder of the songwriter’s alchemical magic Good vibrations: Paul Dano in Love & Mercy. Photograph: François Duhamel/Allstar Sunday 12 July 2015 04.00 EDT Last modified on Thursday 15 December 2016 07.59 EST Share on Messenger Close This bifurcated tale of distinct periods from the life of Beach Boy Brian Wilson plays like two different movies – jarring melodies intertwined in harmonious discord. Watching one, I found myself marvelling at Paul Dano’s uncanny portrayal of Wilson in the 60s, struggling to detect the moment when the actor’s voice segues into that of the real-life musician, dazzled by the construction of stunningly authentic-looking faux archive footage.

In the other, I wondered whether it mattered that John Cusack ’s 80s incarnation bore so little physical resemblance to either his subject or his on-screen counterpart, and found myself questioning the blend of fact and fiction in this latter-day tale of love’s triumph over madness and corruption. Love & Mercy: the rise and fall of tortured genius Brian Wilson Read more These two strands do not intertwine with ease, but like the counterintuitive chords and juxtaposed beats of Wilson’s peerless songbook, they come together in weirdly beautiful song – a restless sea of storytelling styles upon which the narrative’s plaintive melody skitters and surfs. The subject of Brian Wilson’s tumultuous life and creative genius has been approached before on screen – directly and tangentially. Alongside such naff TV dramatisations as 1990’s Summer Dreams: The Story of the Beach Boys , we’ve had Don Was’s insightful 1995 documentary Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times (which proved inspirational for Love & Mercy director Bill Pohlad), and Allison Anders’s still underrated Grace of My Heart (1996) in which Matt Dillon’s Jay Phillips draws heavily on Wilson’s legacy.

Pinterest Little physical resemblance: John Cusack as Brian Wilson, with Elizabeth Banks as Melinda Ledbetter in Love & Mercy. Photograph: François Duhamel There’s a hint of Anders’s dextrous invention in Pohlad’s film – his first directorial outing since 1990’s Old Explorers – which opens with Wilson wondering about the source of his inspiration, and worrying: “What if I lose it and never get it back?” From here, we leap back and forth between the wilderness years of the 80s and the epochal days of the Pet Sounds and Smile sessions, watching in wonder as Wilson hears a new world and becomes increasingly detached from the old (what a fascinating double bill this would make with Nick Moran’s Telstar: The Joe Meek Story). While Michael Alan Lerner’s original script has been thoroughly reconfigured by I’m Not There screenwriter Oren Moverman, Pohlad steps back from the stylistic adventures in which Todd Haynes cast Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin and others as fractured aspects of Bob Dylan’s personality.

What he retains is an admirable non-linearity that allows Love & Mercy to make connections between disparate periods of Wilson’s life – to cut from Cusack’s Brian (a finger-twitching symphony of faraway stares and facial itches) writing the words “lonely, scared, frightened” in the 80s, to a panic attack 20 years earlier; or to juxtapose the bullying of Wilson by his father, who dismisses God Only Knows as “a suicide note” (rather than seeing it as a love song) with the tyranny of Dr Eugene Landy, who insists “I have it under control – I am the control!” Beach Boy Brian Wilson: ‘Punk rock? I don’t know what that is’ Read more Pinterest ‘I am the control’: Paul Giamatti as therapist-turned-captor Dr Eugene Landy in Love & Mercy. Photograph: François Duhamel As the Svengali-like therapist-turned-captor Landy, Paul Giamatti is eye-rollingly wicked, his character as roundly demonised as Elizabeth Banks’s sympathetic Melinda Ledbetter is sanctified (Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks has called the film “Mrs Wilson’s biopic”).

The period textures are more complex, Pohlad and cinematographer Robert D Yeoman rivalling the tactile detail of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice with their use of 16mm and 35mm stock. Where the film really flies is in the restaging of the writing and recording sessions, the use of real musicians paying dividends in the vérité evocation of Wilson’s creative process. While several riffs are familiar – the piano in the sandbox, the firehats in the studio – there’s a startling freshness to a circling sequence that brilliantly captures the birth of Good Vibrations, Wilson’s “pocket symphony to God”. Plaudits, too, to composer Atticus Ross, whose score draws on elements from Wilson’s own recorded archive to create an underwater soundscape of warring psychodramatic themes. Pohlad may offer us a Blue Velvet-style close-up of Wilson’s damaged ear (a result of his father’s beating), but the composer and sound designers take us inside his head, immersing us in a world of musical invention, by turns seductive, enchanting, and terrifying. Pinterest Love & Mercy.

While Lerner (like Beach Boys biographer Steven Gaines) took his original title from the 1966/7 song Heroes and Villains, it’s significant that Pohlad’s film is named after the opening track of Wilson’s 1988 solo album, a sweet live rendition of which accompanies the end credits. With Asif Kapadia’s Amy breaking hearts and records in cinemas, Love & Mercy offers a healing vision of a troubled musician whose descent into the rabbit hole of drugs and bad company gives way to positive interventions and Hollywood resolutions. That so much of it rings true is a credit to the film-makers; that Wilson lived some (if not all) of it is a reminder of his matchless alchemical magic. Super Reviewer ½ "Love & Mercy" has some of the best acting I have seen from John Cusack, but there are script and direction weaknesses that make the story dull and incoherent at times. This story might have seen better told linearly. Christian C Super Reviewer "Love & Mercy" follows young and older Brian Wilson and his band, The Beach Boys.

While we flash back and forth between the bands struggles and triumphs, and into the future where he is trying to find love and dealing with Schizophrenia, the film's deep vibes and meaningful visuals made me very emotional. Paul Dano is incredible in his portrayal of Brian Wilson and John Cusack plays his illness very well. Elizabeth Banks really felt like someone who had no idea how to handle this situation. In the end, "Love & Mercy" satisfies with brilliant writing, superb direction, and a story that is much more worth telling than I expected it to. I really loved watching this film and it displays amazing performances all around and celebrates their best music in style. This is not a film you should miss. Definitely worth it's praise. KJ Proulx Super Reviewer Brian Wilson's records Pet Sounds and, in another story, falls in love with a car dealer. This film alternates between two stories of Brian Wilson's life, and both are compelling and incredibly well-acted. John Cusack and Paul Dano are at top form, and their performances are the highlights of this strong, interesting, and heartfelt film.

Paul Giamatti plays older Wilson's psychiatrist cum legal guardian, who is scamming Wilson for his fortune and talent, and younger Wilson's Beach Boys brethren vie for control of the band, the artistic sense of which Wilson wants to take in new Beatles-imitation directions. For a while, I was so compelled by the pitch-perfect story-telling and wonderful performances that I considered whether Love and Mercy might be the best film of the year, better than Ex Machina, but no, sadly, Elizabeth Banks's role fall in to the "helping woman" cliche, and there are some objectiveless, wandering scenes that only Dano's talent makes interesting. Overall, God only know what would be a better Brian Wilson biopic. Jim Hunter Love & Mercy Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Brian Wilson Biopic HD - YouTube Love & Mercy Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Brian Wilson Biopic HD Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Apr 14, 2015 Subscribe to TRAILERS: Subscribe to COMING SOON: Like us on FACEBOOK: Follow us on TWITTER: Love & Mercy Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Brian Wilson Biopic HD The life of reclusive Beach Boys songwriter and musician Brian Wilson, from his successes with highly-influential orchestral pop albums to his nervous breakdown and subsequent encounter with controversial therapist Dr. Eugene Landy. The Movieclips Trailers channel is your destination for the hottest new trailers the second they drop. Whether it's the latest studio release, an indie horror flick, an evocative documentary, or that new RomCom you've been waiting for, the Movieclips team is here day and night to make sure all the best new movie trailers are here for you the moment they're released. In addition to being the #1 Movie Trailers Channel on YouTube, we deliver amazing and engaging original videos each week. Watch our exclusive Ultimate Trailers, Showdowns, Instant Trailer Reviews, Monthly MashUps, Movie News, and so much more to keep you in the know. Here at Movieclips, we love movies as much as you!

Category Love & Mercy - Music-News.com Love & Mercy Share with: “I’ve always been a sad person.” For a man given to creating a cluster of pop’s greatest upbeat songs, this is the paradoxical phrase that Brian Wilson has uttered several times in past interviews. The Beach Boy founder’s life is now the subject of a biopic and while it treads familiar territory of the genre, it’s a faithful exploration of his creative ingenuity and the causes of anxiety and distress, which dismantled his fragile mental health. Director Bill Pohlad’s film reverts constantly between the prolific period of Wilson’s youth, a time that he started to blow hippies’ minds with the classic album Pet Sounds in the mid-1960s, and around 20 years later when he began to emerge from the clutches of his notorious, so-called psychiatrist Dr Eugene Landy – played by a brilliantly unhinged Paul Giamatti. We see Wilson’s zenith as a musician, before his descent into decades of mental problems, spliced with his struggle in the 1980s to re-emerge as a functioning person. One of the film’s achievements is drawing out the limitless nature of Wilson’s approach to songwriting and the creative process.

In a refreshing case of showing not telling, we see how nonchalantly he broke basic music theory rules while creating Good Vibrations (about 20 melodies compressed to one four-minute song), along with the haunting pop of I Know There’s An Answer; You Still Believe in Me; and God Only Knows in the Pet Sounds studio sessions. For the latter, Paul Dano as the young Wilson – singing in his own voice without overdubs – manages the miraculous feat of matching the singer’s incredible range, in a scene where he plays the just-written song to his unimpressed father. Where the film doesn’t pin down completely one of the acute sources of Wilson’s problems throughout his entire life, is the abusive treatment by his father as a child. Although acknowledged as an inadvertent driver behind Wilson’s unrelenting desire to be a better songwriter, his dad Murry was also cruel and often sadistic. His brutal behaviour affected all three Wilson brothers in the Beach Boys, but this is merely a point of reference rather than explored.

What’s also missing from his heyday are important encounters with Paul McCartney; a bizarre occasion where after slapping Elvis Presley on the face having just met him, he was asked by the king to leave; and a jam session with Lou Reed and Iggy Pop that was apparently “too far out” even for those proto punks. For all the saccharine early 1960s hits about surfing, hot rods and California girls, Wilson’s life was far more rock n’ roll and insane than many would imagine. This film never hits that mark. As the elder Wilson, a broken man trapped in a psychosis and under the psychological control of Dr Landy, John Cusack’s cowed mannerisms are convincing and more affecting for it. Elizabeth Banks, as Melinda Ledbetter, the woman who hauled Wilson out of Dr Landy’s toxic grip, and later became his wife and mother to five more children, is given some of the story’s heavy-lifting. Hers is nevertheless a sweet, tender performance. What the film lacks in intensity, it makes up for in simple, honest illustrations of an incredibly unique talent, a one-off who traded blows with The Beatles to force music into new spheres.

It’s also worth staying during the final credits, for a live performance from Wilson himself of Love & Mercy: It’s probably one of the greatest songs you’ve never heard. Love & Mercy - Movies & TV on Google Play Love & Mercy Item added to wishlist. Item removed from wishlist. You will receive an email when your movie becomes available. You will not be charged until it is released. ( 815) Synopsis LOVE & MERCY is an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson (portrayed by both John Cusack and Paul Dano), singer and songwriter for The Beach Boys. The film intimately examines the unique journey and ultimate salvation of this musical icon, whose success came at an extraordinary personal cost. Also starring Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti. My review 1 23 Joe Morgenstern We're shown so many symptoms that, regardless of which actor is playing the hero, there's little relief from the prevailing grimness, and less sense of a life in full. Andrew O'Hehir When you consider all the ways that "Love & Mercy" could have gone terribly wrong, and how full of life it is in the end (and, yes, of love and mercy), I think the end product is almost miraculous.

Lisa Kennedy Unnerving as it is thrilling, as visually and aurally vivid as it is emotionally harrowing. Peter Rainer Dano and Cusack never let us forget that Wilson is human before he is anything else - genius, icon, legend. Steve Tilley The performances are universally great, and the subject matter is captivating. Richard Roeper After seeing "Love & Mercy," you'll find it nearly impossible to resist the urge to download (or re-listen to) a dozen Beach Boys classics. Critic reviews Joe Morgenstern We're shown so many symptoms that, regardless of which actor is playing the hero, there's little relief from the prevailing grimness, and less sense of a life in full. Full Review Andrew O'Hehir When you consider all the ways that "Love & Mercy" could have gone terribly wrong, and how full of life it is in the end (and, yes, of love and mercy), I think the end product is almost miraculous. Full Review Peter Rainer Dano and Cusack never let us forget that Wilson is human before he is anything else - genius, icon, legend.

Full Review Richard Roeper After seeing "Love & Mercy," you'll find it nearly impossible to resist the urge to download (or re-listen to) a dozen Beach Boys classics. User reviews jonathan silver September 14, 2015 Boring even from a music fan....most of his creativity and insanity comes from LSD, which is passively mentioned, the star himself admitted his psychosis orginated from the hallugenic, a powerful horrible drug that causes brain damage. Love scenes are predictable falling in love at once with a person who is clearly deranged....maybe this happend but it goes beyond believability as he acts more like Rainman and less like an acid burned pop star. 1 star for boredom and drug usage. Full Review Joshua Newburger August 25, 2015 LOVE&MERCY on GOOGLEPLAY and NOWHERE else. HAPPILY paid $20 for the privilege to screen this first run, not even in theaters 8/25/15. Between BEACH BOYS/BRIAN WILSON fanatics like myself and say, MUSIC fanatics (ANY type fanatics), there is a difference.

And STILL, money was put up (4TH BIO- PIC ON THIS SUBJECT BTW) for ALL to know this epic, American saga; And to enjoy it in as full and as imaginative a production as can be PRAYED for-To KNOW what happened. Full Review Cole Horton June 5, 2015 Spectacular Movie! I've been a fan of The Beach Boys since 2012 (I'm only 20 years old) and my obsession with them has given me a pretty solid foundation of their history. From what I personally have come across from The Beach Boys and all the stories this film was as spot on and possibly even more accurate! It depicts the mind of Brian Wilson without trying to say his mental state provided the key to some sort of magical formula to making great music. Full Review Dan Fleming June 7, 2015 What Can You Say? The iconic legends of the West coast music sound. Since 1964. For me. knew something had happened. He outlived his demons, and now we learn a bit more.

Full Review Ad Iesum per Mariam October 12, 2015 Nostalgia + Cusack Pretty much the only reasons I was interested. Agree with the comment that Cusack looks nothing like Wilson, but he steps into roles like no one else. Didn't like all the flashbacks, felt the pacing was off & nearly nauseating. But, at least, Cusack Full Review Happy Capper October 10, 2015 Dano and Banks were amazing, as was the story. Stick with it The flashing back and forth in the beginning was almost unbearable. Two actors, one (Cusack) who looks nothing like Brian in the same role. Poor choice. Much better if it were told in chronological order with Paul Dano aged at the end. But worth seeing and unforgettable. Full Review DLW 876 October 6, 2015 Love & mercy Very good inspirational film. Glad I watched it. It is sad that so many people are misdiagnosed . Sad very sad Full Review Jonathan Rumore January 4, 2016 A fantastic film.

Not being a major moviegoer, but a massive Beach Boys Fan, I was so ecstatic when Love & Mercy was announced. It lived up to the hype I built for it and more. A must see for a music fan. Full Review Marcella Hilgartner October 5, 2015 Loved it! I didn't know that much about Brian Wilson's personal life and this movie explained so much. The acting was good and,of course, the music was great. Such a musical talent and so tragic that 10 years of his life were lost. It makes you wonder what music we lost during those 10 years. Jacob Ryan Harris November 26, 2015 Solid biopic Nothing new here, yet not much wrong. Just a solid film. Full Review Eric Hopkins June 24, 2015 Wow! This movie was outstanding! The acting is top notch and the way the movie shifts from young Brian to older Brian back and forth is done with such ease. Best film I've seen in 2015. Full Review Raleigh Mann September 12, 2015 Wonderful I didn't know much about Brian Wilson, this film was really well done.

Amazing performances by Cusack and Paul Done. Well worth watching Domingo Avila August 28, 2016 B tino Nevárez Tino nevares con los Hermanos Vega Full Review Christopher Stone August 23, 2016 America's Band #1 since 1986 They have been my favorite band since I first saw them live in 1986. I have seen them on the 25th and 50th aniversery tours. Full Review A Varjack June 26, 2015 Love & Mercy Spectacular film. Didn't really know too much on the background of Beach Boys but can proudly say I'm a fan for life! Full Review Rob Turner December 8, 2015 Good, Original! The idea to have two actors potray him at different points in his life throughout the film was brilliantly done. Love the music! Full Review Christopher Lockard July 4, 2015 When will this film be available to rent? I've been looking forward to seeing this since earlier this year when I first saw the trailer.

Full Review Abhilash Kuduvalli July 25, 2015 The best music you'll hear in a film this year. Paul Dano doing his finest work. A welcome addition to the musical biopic. Marcia Hertz February 1, 2016 A modern day Mozart, tortured genius. Full Review jmak2005 October 10, 2015 Pretty interesting movie, but still feel like there is a lot more to this story after watching the movie. Catherine Moore August 8, 2015 Interesting This was a very good movie. If you love the Beach Boys, you will enjoy this. Lindsey Lanoux November 10, 2016 Perfect Words cannot describe the complexity, artistry, and truth to this movie. Kyle Salewski August 30, 2015 Great film Really enjoyed it. Great story, great acting and directing also. Marc Mayerson September 18, 2015 Moving.. Insightful Loved seeing the studio played like an instrument. Mark.

Aday August 29, 2015 Love and mercy Likeable movie very warm you can feel the movie Julie Wilkerson November 29, 2015 Love and Mercy Stellar performances, very well done. Shiloh Marie October 31, 2015 Cusack!! Performances were good, entertaining. John Eckert June 16, 2016 Love and Mercy Story of Beach Boy Brian Wilson Starla Cooke November 10, 2015 Amazing Movie Love the beach boys in general :) Olivia Littlejohn July 1, 2016 Loved this movie!!!!! 💖💖💖 Jeremy Surdezsmith September 26, 2015 Loved it!! Huge beach boys fan! Juan Barragan October 12, 2015 Better than straight outta Compton David Tatkin February 29, 2016 Loved Every Minute! Pamela Bruner November 2, 2015 Love and mercy Mind blowing James Amonett January 3, 2016 Amazing Wonderful film.

Timothy L Huber January 31, 2016 Love and mercy Great shane Pollard November 28, 2015 Have to know more Deb k November 7, 2015 Excellent! Film Review: Love & Mercy | Consequence of Sound Consequence of Sound Press EnterPress Escape to CloseClick to Search Search THE BEST FILMS IN ACTION, DRAMA, HORROR, AND MORE EXPERTLY CURATED BY THE COS STAFF Film Review: Love & Mercy Elizabeth Banks, John Cusack, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti Release Year Reddit Note: This review was originally published back in March 2015 as part of our coverage for the SXSW Film Festival . The most tortured souls often craft the most beautiful pieces of art. Brian Wilson certainly fits that bill. For over half a century, the California singer-songwriter and The Beach Boys mastermind has amassed a signature collection of compositions separate from any other artist, before or after him. He wrote the greatest song ever (“God Only Knows”), he designed the most essential album ever (Pet Sounds), and he’s responsible for creating an entire genre (California Sound).

His music traditionally soundtracks happy, vital times in everyone’s lives, namely because it’s happy, vital music. Yet despite these brilliant creations, his name is oft-preceded by his own madness, a tragic curse that has both inhibited and motivated his every move throughout his sordid life. That dark underbelly is ultimately the conceit of director Bill Pohlad’ s fantastic biopic, Love & Mercy. By oscillating between Wilson’s young ( Paul Dano ) and adult ( John Cusack ) life — respectively, the onset of recording Pet Sounds and what would be his final act of therapy with the controversial Dr. Eugene Landy ( Paul Giamatti ) and the beginning of his relationship with his future wife, Melinda Ledbetter ( Elizabeth Banks ) — the film is able to wrangle the exhaustive scope of his career. In a clever stylistic move, Pohlad even revisits their early heyday in the fuzzy opening credits, recreating several iconic portraits and moments, from the photo shoot behind 1962’s Surfin’ Safari to the actual concert that would spawn their 1964 debut live album.

These are all handled with the utmost accuracy, seemingly down to the lines in the sand, and that acute attention to detail carries over into just about every other facet of the film. (Read: Inside Brian Wilson – An Interview with Director Bill Pohlad ) Not since Anton Corbijn’s Control, his excellent 2007 retelling of the life and death of Ian Curtis and Joy Division, has a biopic felt so authentic and conditional of its own subject. Screenwriters Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner lean heavily on a number of must-read bookmarks in Wilson’s career — admittedly, an expected pitfall of most biopics (ahem, Ray) — but they keep this from being an easy-to-read Wikipedia entry by allowing much of the story’s crucial details to surface naturally (e.g. Wilson’s child abuse; Landy’s role). It’s a linear story, for the most part, but Pohlad adds a surreal touch, capturing the ’60s druggy landscapes and Wilson’s manic inner voices with dreamy perspectives, no doubt inherited from his time producing Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life.

Towards the end, the film frantically veers off into this cascade of jumbled nightmares and glossy memories, mirroring the grand finale of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: a space odyssey. It’s pretty trippy. As with any biopic, the film boils down to its performances, and both Cusack and Dano lose themselves as Wilson. In fact, it’s chilling how Dano dissolves into the role both spiritually and physically. When he wanders around his Smile-era studio, feeling the walls and studying its acoustics, his eyes float aimlessly around in an erratic manner that’s all too genuine. His hair, his soft-spoken voice, his wardrobes, and his nervous tics are all on display. To be fair, much of his screen time involves moments that have all been well-documented, thanks to Wilson’s knack for recording, so it’s likely that Dano had plenty to work with prior to filming. Cusack, however, has a very complicated task, as most of his story was hidden behind the scenes or falsely documented in Wilson’s Landy-doctored autobiography.

How he mumbles expressively to Melinda or burrows into a shell under Landy’s tyrannical grip is a credit to Cusack’s veteran capabilities. Still, difficulties aside, the two carry the film’s drama with nuanced performances that deserve at least a glance by the Academy next year. (Watch: Masterpiece Reviews – The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds ) They’re not alone, either. Giamatti’s Landy is a slimy devil in pastels, a character performance that recalls his breakthrough role as Pig Vomit in Howard Stern’s own biopic, Private Parts. In each scene, he either smiles with cheese or snarls with vitriol at anyone who crosses his path, especially Wilson’s love interest, Melinda. Speaking of which, Banks finally gets an opportunity to sneak away from her comedic talents, unlocking a dramatic side that indicates she’s due for more work in this area. Behind these principals are the faces any fan might recognize: Carl Wilson (Brett Davern), Dennis Wilson (Kenny Wormald), Mike Love (Jake Abel), Van Dyke Parks (Max Schneider), and the incorrigible Murry Wilson (Bill Camp).

It’s a collection of stellar no-names that not only look as if they stepped out of dusty ol’ band photos, but also act as if they’ve known one another for just as long. Love & Mercy leaves the darkest hours of Wilson’s life — his weight gain, his drug abuse, and his rigorous early therapy sessions alongside Landy — for the imagination or extra-curricular studies. It’s a smart choice; after all, the film has enough struggles to resolve, specifically: how Wilson’s love for music nearly crushed him, and how love eventually saved him. The way Pohlad orchestrates this strange dichotomy on-screen is about as beautiful and heartwarming as any of The Beach Boys’ best material. And when your favorite songs bubble up or weave through Atticus Ross’ unique score, the marriage of sound and screen will win your tears, your smiles, and your soul. To paraphrase Wilson, Love & Mercy … that’s what you need tonight.

Love and Mercy Trailer: Paul Dano Leads Beach Boys Biopic ‘Love & Mercy’ Trailer Starring Paul Dano and John Cusack as the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson Posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2015 by Angie Han Brian Wilson wasn’t a conventional person, so why should he get a conventional biopic? Love & Mercy casts not one but two actors as the Beach Boys musician. Paul Dano plays him in the 1960s, when he was a young man on track for greatness; John Cusack plays him in the 1980s, as he’s struggling to get out from under an abusive relationship with his doctor Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). Leaving aside the fact that Dano, Cusack, and Wilson don’t really look alike at all, Love & Mercy seems like an artful exploration of an American music icon. Elizabeth Banks also stars as Melinda Ledbetter, the woman who would become Wilson’s second wife. Watch the Love and Mercy trailer after the jump. Roadside Attractions debuted the Love and Mercy trailer on YouTube. Based on the subject alone, Love & Mercy should be an automatic must-watch for Beach Boys fans.

Fortunately for them and us, it also seems like a legitimately good movie. It collected warm reviews at TIFF last year, with THR calling it “deeply satisfying” and Variety remarking that it was “a wonderfully innervating cure for the common musical biopic.” BBC.com was even gushier about it: Once in a while, though, you see a biopic that brings off something miraculous, that recreates a famous person’s life with so much care that the immersion we seek is achieved. When you watch Love & Mercy, a drama about Brian Wilson, the angelic yet haunted genius of The Beach Boys, you feel like you’re right there in the studio with him as he creates Pet Sounds. And it’s a little like sitting next to Beethoven: the film is tender and moving, but also awe-inspiring. With praise like that, Love & Mercy definitely seems worth seeking out when it opens June 5, 2015. LOVE & MERCY presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter and leader of The Beach Boys. Set against the era defining catalog of Wilson’s music, the film intimately examines the personal voyage and ultimate salvation of the icon whose success came at extraordinary personal cost.

Cool Posts From Around the Web: "Love & Mercy" Movie Review Blu-Ray Release Date: September 15, 2015 ( Amazon.com ) Plot Summary Love & Mercy is an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson (portrayed by both John Cusack and Paul Dano), singer and songwriter for The Beach Boys. The film intimately examines the unique journey and ultimate salvation of this musical icon, whose success came at an extraordinary personal cost. (from Lionsgate) Film Review Biopics--I suppose like any genre--are a bit of an acquired taste and a mixed bag. Fans of any of the cast will be picky about the subject matter, while fans of the real-life person/character will be critical of the film and the choices made of who is playing who. Then when you add music to the equation, it's a whole 'nother story. Take Walk The Line for example; it was a great drama with pretty good music, but many people had trouble processing the casting of Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash.

Indie film Love & Mercy, from first-time director Bill Pohlad (who is an accomplished producer, however), takes a look at a couple decades out of the life and career of The Beach Boys' own singer/songwriter Brian Wilson. It simultaneously--and ambitiously--tells the story of Wilson's struggles while recording some of the band's most popular songs, as well as his tumultuous years later in life under the thumb of a controlling and destructive therapist. John Cusack steps into Wilson's shoes later in his life while rising star Paul Dano fills in as the Beach Boy during the height of the band's career. Immediately, many viewers will have to work to look past Cusack as a physically contrasting older Brian Wilson. Cusack is such a well-known actor that it won't be easy to see him as anyone but John Cusack. Still, John dives into the role pretty immersively, and you get the tortured and schizophrenic nature of Wilson very tangibly from his performance. Dano is even better as the younger Brian as he has the tougher job of illustrating Brian's slow descent from genius into madness after the impact that drugs had on his personality and career.

What helps bring it all to life even stronger is Pohlad's creative and quirky directorial style, which works more often than it doesn't (and it mostly doesn't later in the film as he uses some confusing editing choices to portray Wilson's lost grip on reality). Pohlad has said that their main goal with the film was to capture more of the emotion of Brian's story than pinpoint accuracy, so they designed the look, feel and sound of the story to convey the emotions of the events rather than the exact retelling of those events. And, for the most part, it works nicely as an art film and also an emotional drama. Elizabeth Banks is a great romantic interest for the older Brian, and it's easy to be drawn into her experiences with Brian and his controlling therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy, played by Paul Giamatti. Paul plays Landy with this warmth and genuine concern that's misleading at first--and rightfully so--and it makes the reveal that he's actually kind of an evil character all the more surprising when it happens. Biographies are tough to pull off with the feel of a cinematic movie, but Pohlad strikes a nice balance between documentary and fictional drama.

Some of the film's best scenes happen when Dano is playing Brian Wilson in the studio recording The Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds. His enthusiasm is infectious and it's exciting to get some insight into how his mind works and how the creative process evolves. And through the way Pohlad directs the scenes, they even feel like they're lifted right out of the archives as footage taken from these actual sessions. They often have that unscripted, raw directional feel that comes from a camera man using a handheld camera while trying to capture a moment as it's unfolding. Other footage has a really dated feel that makes it seem like we're really watching 1960's-era footage of The Beach Boys on set or in the studio. It's so wonderfully executed. Unfortunately, the excitement that Brian radiates for his music is mostly in the 60's era of his life and is directly juxtaposed against his broken older self, as well as the hard road he takes getting to that point. From doing drugs and abusing alcohol to dealing with the failure of an album he and the band were excited about, there's some seriously weighty stuff here.

If there wasn't the hopefulness that stems from the relationship between Melinda and Brian when he's older, the movie would just keep getting bleaker and bleaker. Thankfully, Pohlad's ability to successfully juggle the two eras works in the story's favor. Instead of showing us everything visually from Wilson's life, he lets some of it be told by Brian to Melinda in dialog. The shuffled timeline works in its favor, saving the movie from being just another from-childhood-to-fame-to-today biopic. The content for the film is actually pretty significantly rough. While the image of The Beach Boys--at least to this reviewer--was mostly family friendly and happy-go-lucky, this film reveals that it was anything but that. I have always had a distant, casual appreciation for their music (as my parents loved to listen to the "oldies" station while I was growing up, which played a lot of their hits), so their personal story is completely new to me. I was heartbroken to see how horrible and vicious the Wilson father was to his children, and finding out a lot of their later music was written under the influence of drugs is just sad as well. The relationship that Brian had with his therapist, Dr.

Landy, is a toxic one, and there are several scenes of Landy verbally berating Brian and even Melinda. This is also when the majority of the film's blasphemy is uttered, and it's sharp on the ears of those of us sensitive to it. In addition, there's 1 "F" word and a handful of other common profane words, some talk about the abuse from the Wilsons' father, and we see the guys smoking pot in the studio. Another scene shows a young Brian telling his wife he did LSD twice and then he goes from being excited about it to breaking down in tears. Older Brian sleeps with Melinda and we see them under the covers lying next to each other on a bed. At one point, we see two glimpses of Melinda's entire bare back (down to her hips) as she re-wraps a sheet around her. The themes for the movie are very mature, so I definitely suggest proceeding with caution. When all is said and done, Love & Mercy is a well-crafted, well-acted story, but it's not a light one by any means.

If you're hoping to just go "surfin'" and "have fun fun fun," there's very little of that to be found here. But if you're a fan of any of the central cast or Brian Wilson, there's a really solid, artful film to be found in Love & Mercy. 'Love & Mercy' Trailer - YouTube 'Love & Mercy' Trailer Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Feb 25, 2015 Director: Bill Pohlad Starring: Elizabeth Banks, John Cusack, Paul Dano The life of reclusive Beach Boys songwriter and musician Brian Wilson, from his successes with highly-influential orchestral pop albums to his nervous breakdown and subsequent encounter with controversial therapist Dr. Eugene Landy. For more movie trailers, celebrity interviews and box office news visit Hollywood.com! Category

Question: Which musician and songwriter is the subject of the 2015 film Love and Mercy?
Answer: BRIAN WILSON